Is it politically motivated? Look at temail I just received from Rethinking Schools:

Dear Friends,

On Sept. 24, a new film, "Waiting for Superman," will draw media attention to public education across the country. Unfortunately, most of it will be negative. So we've started a project to talk back to the film and the message it promotes. We hope you will join us at NOTwaitingforsuperman.org. The message of the film is that public schools are failing because of bad teachers and their unions. The film's "solution," to the minimal extent it suggests one, is to replace them with "great" charter schools and teachers who have less power over their schools and classrooms.

This message is not just wrong. In the current political climate, it's toxic.

The film was made by the Academy-Award winning director of "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary that helped awaken millions to the dangers of global warming. But this film misses the mark by light years. Instead of helping people understand the many problems schools face and what it will take to address them, it presents misleading information and simplistic "solutions" that will make it harder for those of us working to improve public education to succeed. We know first hand how urgently change is needed. But by siding with a corporate reform agenda of teacher bashing, union busting, test-based "accountability" and highly selective, privatized charters, the film pours gasoline on the public education bonfire started by No Child Left Behind and Race To the Top.

Rethinking Schools has never hesitated to criticize public schools. We do it in every issue. We've been working for over 25 years to bring social justice and racial equality to our classrooms, our schools, our districts—and our unions. We know many of you have been doing the same. But this film does not contain a single positive image of a non-charter public school or a teacher. Despite a lot of empty rhetoric about the importance of "great teachers," the disrespect the film displays to real teachers working on the ground in public schools today is stunning. Not one has a voice in the film. There are no public school parents working together to improve the schools their children attend. There are no engaged communities. There is no serious discussion of funding, poverty, race, testing or the long and sorry history of top-down bureaucratic reform failure.

It's as if someone made a film about global warming and did not mention cars, oil companies, or carbon dioxide.

The film has an undeniably powerful emotional impact, and the stories of the children and families it highlights are compelling to all of us. But the film uses these stories to promote an agenda that will hurt public schools and the communities that depend on them. It's time to speak up for ourselves, our students, and our schools.

[Right now, the link will take you to a Facebook book page that anyone can view, though only those with a FB account can post. In a few days, the same link, NOTwaitingforsuperman.org, will take you to a brand new NOT Waiting for Superman website that's almost ready to launch. Both sites will remain active for the duration of this campaign.]

It's hard to know what to think about these two films without seeing them. Of course they are politically motivated!! Every film of this type is! It seems like each film does not just take a different side to the issue, but it seems like they are talking about very different types of school districts. "Waiting for Superman" is focusing on students in urban districts, saying Charter schools are their only option in order to learn. Then, "Race to Nowhere" is talking about the more affluent districts where students have every opportunity handed to them, and they are pushed beyond reason. How can the two really be compared?

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Makia Easterling

9/23/2010 06:11:36 am

This is a very difficult topic to comment on. As you look at today's problems in the inner city public schools it's hard to ignore some of opinions mentioned in this movie. Teachers are underqualified which result in failure in educating the students. Pointing out the major concerns with failing inner city schools is what I think may change and bring awarness to the current situation. Glorifying and praising failing schools for its efforts and attempts will not bring forth the major issues and concerns regarding the education for those attending these particular schools.

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Meg Brodeur (MB)

9/23/2010 06:15:03 am

I am intrigued- really like to see the movie. Anything that keeps teachers learning and growing is a good thing. I'm interested in how the movie (if it does) deals with the tenure issue. I don't think Unions are a good thing for students. Education is a multidimensional journed- you ned a team of students, families, administrators and teachers to be succesful.

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Caroline Martin

9/23/2010 06:19:32 am

Marialice, After reading the remarks of Rethinking Schools, I feel more compelled than ever to view the movie. I think it is going to be important to understand the positions of both sides in order to draw my own conclusion. The issues this letter is highlighting about public education is not like my experiences in the school system I work in and send my children to. While I recognize that there are failing schools and struggling programs, there are teachers and schools doing some great work with students. This letter makes it sound like there are no successful public schools.

I wish I had the chance to see the film before reading this email in or to provide a more educated responce. However, it does appear that this bit of information is all about saving face or an effort to attach doubt to what could possibly be an eye opener. It may even spark a revolution that will better the public school sysytem. After all, any improvements in education are worth the time and energy if kids benefit. The future is theirs not ours!

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Lisa

9/23/2010 06:20:19 am

I am having a hard time making a comment without actually seeing either of the movies. Although seeing a film that related to our career and/or interest is always good advice to be able to see another perspective and reflect on it. I am very excited at the possability to see this as a class and comment on it together.

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Charity

9/23/2010 06:21:57 am

I am not quite sure what to think...I think after seeing the movie I will have an opinion. However, I have been working in an urban school for five years, in a very low performing district. At my school the teachers are extremely dedicated and many come in as early as 2 hours before school starts and many stay several hours after the day ends. I think that teachers want to do whatever it takes to help children be successful and therefore I don't appreciate that the article portrays public school teachers in a negative light.

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Mary

9/23/2010 06:26:31 am

Obviously, I need to see both these films to comment intelligently on them. Generally, though, there is so much "flack" all over the media right now about failing schools --Time magazine cover, Morning Joe, etc. etc. I see Michelle Rhee from the DC Public Schools every day on TV it seems and I get it--we need to improve the way that some teachers and some schools are doing their job. But I worry that there is too much EMOTION going on right now regarding this issue. Lets fix what needs to be fixed. Let's support teachers and help them to be better.

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Ayesha

9/23/2010 06:32:25 am

I am very torn with the direction with this article. I feel that there is a lot of negativity placed on the teacher population. I do agree to some degree that the teachers have a role to play at school but the parents should also be playing a larger role when it comes to their childrens education. A lot of parents mentality "I send them to school to learn, why should I have to do more at home". Unfortunately, this is the way the world we live in now.

I want to attribute this mentality to young parents but I was watching this show on MTV 'The World of Jenks'. The show is about a young man that wants to see how different people live and the obstacles that they have to overcome. There was a young 'houseless' woman(22)were her parents didn't care about her when it came to education, life, or just being a kid. Her parents were older (he traditional age), if the parents don't care then it is very hard for the child to want to thrive.

It is a sad situation.

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Mardi

9/23/2010 06:32:44 am

Although I have not seen the movie, or read the book yet I think the intent is to bring attention to the fact that there is clearly a problem with our nation's educational system. We are failing our students and it is apparent in our rankings. The fact is that there are some very excellent teachers working in our public schools; there are also some very bad teachers working in our public schools. It is not fair to the good teachers, and more importantly the children, that these people get to keep their jobs because they are protected by "their unions". There is a problem with American education and in order to fix it we need to look at the whole picture. We should all hold ourselves to a higher standard and create change!

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Christina

9/23/2010 06:58:07 am

I really have to watch this movie now and Race to Nowhere. These are two extremes of public schools that are constantly bring up issues in their own right. A lottery to get into the next school? Suicidal tendencies because you didn't get an A in Science? It's insane these extremes, and the teachers are always the first to be blamed, and some should be, but it's not always the teachers fault and its annoying that we are the first ones to be pointed at when students aren't making AYP and what not, there are other factors that affect learning outside of school. I can go on and on, but I won't

Christina

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Maria

9/23/2010 07:05:50 am

Both these films seem fantastic and I am excited to see them. They both seem to integrate important issues that are happening within the school systems. I remember past field experiences where I worked with different schools and how teaching to the test was an issue. I think that both these movies will be an eye-opener for our society.

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